The bathing city at the northern part of the coast is the best place to go for a real beach holiday. During the night there is normally a very lively atmosphere at the city's bars and discos, where both foreign and Ecuadorian tourists relax after a long day with swimming and sunbathing under the burning sun near the equator.
River rafting is getting a more and more popular thing to do in the area. The mountain river Rio Patate is also excellent for the purpose, and it is a fascinating landscape you pass while trying to keep your boat on an even keel. In Banos you can find people who arrange trips.
Banos means bath in Spanish and people mainly travel to Banos with the purpose of trying the town's thermal baths. The locals say that nature's own baths have a healing effect. Whether it is true or not, one thing is sure: Banos is a lovely place to go for relaxation and for nursing aching muscles after hard trekking in the mountains. Some of the baths' water supply comes from a volcano nearby, while others are supplied by melted ice coming from the mountains. The water may appear dirty, but the dirty colour is due to the water's many minerals.
The church made in honour of the Virgin of holy waters is definitely worth a visit. A good part of many miracles in the area are ascribed to the holy virgin, and the museum that belongs to the church displays fine paintings of these miracles. Here you will also find a fine collection of stuffed animals and religious artefacts.
Cuenca is the main city in the area and one of the most interesting with its lively street life as well as houses and churches from the colonial era. There are some Inca ruins near the city, but the best thing is just to go on a discovery in the cobblestone streets and watch life in the historical scenery. Be sure to walk down to the river, where the women wash their clothes in front some incredible beautiful houses.
Mitad el Mundo is the place where scientists in 1736 for the first time measured the centre of the world: the precise lineage of equator. The place has a monument and a small ethnographic museum. When going there you should also visit the planetarium, which belongs to the complex at the precise centre of the world.
You can hardly believe your own eyes when you enter the port to this Jesuit church in Quito. No less than 7 tons of gold has been used to make this church one of the most resplendent and best decorated in the world.
In the southern part of the Coastal area is Zaruma. Years ago it was a very lively city mainly because of its goldmine, which is almost, empty now. It is still possible to visit the narrow mine passages and get a sense of the almost inhuman conditions, which the miners had to live with a couple of centuries ago. The beautiful wooden buildings made with beautiful balconies are absolutely adorable, and the mountains offer wonderful walks with fabulous views.
The ruins are the biggest monuments left behind in Ecuador after the enormous Inca Empire that stretched all over the country. The remains of the fabulous stone constructions serve as a good testimony to what used to be an enormous building. The landscape is also magnificent. You can get to the ruins from the village Achupallas, where you follow an old curvy Inca route taking you through beautiful scenery.
Otavalo north of Quito is known for the Indians beautiful craft and their strong cultural identity. Especially, the woven carpets are of high quality and extremely beautiful. There is a market on Saturdays, but in reality you can buy a piece of original Otavalo handicraft all week. When visiting the village you should also pay attention to the women's beautifully embroidered clothing, which they still wear.
Ibarra and the surrounding Intag Sanctuary are rich in nature and beautiful buildings from the colonial era. Here you also found the cloud forest, a curious form of rainforest. It creates and keeps clouds of fog, which hang in the plants close to the ground. The Intag Sanctuary has also a remarkable interesting animal life.
Cotopaxi is without any doubt the most interesting national park in Ecuador's highland. The park's monument is the nearly 6000 metre high Cotopaxi volcano, which is still fizzing and bubbling. The valleys and mountain slopes offer fabulous possibilities for climbing and walks. If you look toward the sky you might catch a glimpse of the proud condor overlooking its territory. Nowhere else in the country you will find the Andes mountains this beautiful.
If you want to experience a true wilderness this is the place to go. The park is the least accessible and most untamed part of the country. Three of the largest volcanoes in Ecuador throne over the dense stand on the mountainside, and the dense thicket is a hideout for both mountain tapirs and pumas. Here you are alone with the wild but incredible fascinating nature.
This nature sanctuary near the border to Peru is possible the best place in the country to get to know the wild animals of the rain forest. Here it is still possible to see a wealth of crocodiles, boa constrictors and monkeys, not to mention enormous trees and colourful flowers.
El Nariz del Diablo - the Devil's Nose When you buy a ticket to the train between Alausí and Duran, you also buy a wonderful shot of adrenaline. Daredevils can take the ride on the roof of train while ordinary sensible people can take a seat in the cabin. Then the whistle is blown for a breathless trip up steep mountainsides and over ramshackle bridges overlooking deep cliffs. Meanwhile, if you have your nerves under control, you can enjoy the fascinating scenery.
If you don't have a diver's certificate, the Galápagos Islands is a good place to get one. For it is not only over the sea's surface that the animal life at the Galápagos Islands is fabulous. Actually divers from all over the world come to dive here. Sharks, dolphins, turtles and tons of exotic fish, just to mention a few of the things you might see from your diving mask.
The fabulous animal life at the Galápagos Islands is truly unique. Apart from crowds of birds you will see hordes of penguins, iguanas, giant turtles, seals, dolphins even flamingos and a lot of other species. Even more fantastic that the enormous amount of animals is that is quite easy to get close to them and watch the magnificent animals.
The volcanic landscapes at the third largest of the Galápagos islands are very remarkable and very impressive. You might even see one of the volcanoes pour out red-hot lava from its depth, which makes scared iguanas run scurry off the slant volcano walls.
The rain forest's plant and animal life is incredible, and it encompasses everything from anacondas to spectacled bears. Or how do you feel about a spider that eats birds? In the city Misahuallí you can find a guide and arrange a fairly cheap jungle trip, while excursions to the five-star and rather expensive jungle station La Selva often is arranged in Quito. Trips can off course also be booked from other places. As a general rule, the more you pay the more you will get.
There are different ways to get to the Oriente region. The easiest way is to fly. However, nobody should miss the road between Banos and Puyo. From the road you have fabulous views to the Amazon basin. On the drive you also pass beautiful waterfalls on their way down the jungle, where the plants become tropical with multi-coloured flowers and giant trees. On the journey there are good places to spend the night, if you feel like splitting the trip up into smaller pieces.
The island is a part of the Machalilla National Park and is wittily referred to as "the poor people's Galápagos", because the island has a diverse animal life, but is not as expensive to visit as the Galápagos Islands. Visitors are especially drawn to the island because of its bird life, but from June to October you can see both whales and dolphins around the island. If you wear a divers mask and a snorkel you can take a closer look at one of the islands few but beautiful coral reefs.
At the bank of a tributary to the big Río Pastaza lies the city Puyo. The view from the city is magnificent. The picturesque scenario of mountain peaks that overlooks the, green jungle is a divine sight, which leaves a long lasting memory. The river is a good place to go swimming and while romping in the cloudy river water you can see a very diverse bird life. In the beginning of May the founding of the city is celebrated with a big party.
The big round building made of glass is impressive on its own. Inside you will find exhibitions of the country's art, musical instruments and clothing. The exhibitions are some of the best in the Andes countries and the culture house even has a concert hall where classical concerts are held from time to time.
The San Francisco Church from the 16th century is not only the first larger religious building at the continent; it is also one of the most interesting buildings in Quito. It has a baroque altar and scary engravings in the ceiling and on the walls, which are covered with a thin layer of gold. At the entrance there is a museum that exhibits paintings and other artefacts from the church's history.
La Virgen del Quito is a religious statue, which stands on a ridge in the old part of town. Far more interesting than the statue itself is the view. Here you get a fabulous view of not only Quito but also the volcanoes nearby and the awe-inspiring Andes mountain range.
On Saturdays Indians and other people from the mountain villages pour into the town and transforms it to a giant market space. Here you can buy the beautiful Indian craft or just watch the entertaining and colourful market and the traders.
The church La Concepción that houses this interesting museum is in itself also a place to see. Inside you will find beautiful paintings and sculptures, as well as a large collection of religious artefacts. The museum is very impressive and worth a visit even if you are not interested in art.
The park in itself is nothing special, but it has a small platform from where there is the most wonderful view over the city and the surrounding landscape. Pay special attention to Ecuador's highest mountain the volcano Chimborazo that stands as a giant in the panoramic landscape.
The city's only attraction is its fabulous market. The market is distinguished by the absence of traders who only sell souvenirs to tourists and there is an authentic atmosphere at the market. The activity is not confined to one place, but is spread all over the city. Each space has its own group of goods, which is sold. Markets are an important part of Ecuadorian culture and the Thursday market in Saquisili is absolutely the best place to experience it
This is the place where you go to relax. Vilcabamba is known for the inhabitants' long life. No one really knows if the long life is connected to the place's lovely climate, but one thing is for sure: the surroundings are fabulous, and from the moment you take your first breath of the fresh air you get a feeling of well-being and harmony.
The only national park in the southern Ecuador houses plant species that can be found nowhere else on the planet. The green hill landscape is diverse and filled with mountain lakes. Here you also find a very special animal life. Among the park's residents are the spectacled bear, the puma and a special species of foxes.